Happy now
by Lil-Samuu
Summary: Bliss timeline oneshot. Zelos reflects on his life one morning as his wife sleeps curled up beside him.


One-shot bit of fluff set in the "Bliss" timeline featuring Zelos and Sheena. Zelos reflects on his life one morning as his wife sleeps curled up beside him.

Spoiler warning: light spoilers about Zelos's past. Don't want to know? Then please don't read :) Thanks.

For potter29vo, because she likes the Sheena and Zelos pairing and because my Zelos chibi (/muse/whatever you wanna call him) went "Me! Me! Me! Write about me now! Me!" after I mentioned him in an e-mail to her :) I hope she enjoys this.

Disclaimer: No, Tales of Symphonia is not mine, it's Namco's I believe. I just love writing about it :)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Zelos yawned and started to stretch but then paused and decided not to for fear of waking the woman snuggled up to him. He smiled lovingly at Sheena and began to gently stroke her hair. The summoner sighed and mumbled some content sounding noises in her sleep.

The redhead's expression was soft as he gazed lovingly at his wife. He loved seeing her relaxed and peaceful, sleeping happily wrapped up in his arms.

His eyes lifted to the door as he heard footsteps in the hallway but they went straight past the closed door and into the kitchen. He heard sounds of cooking and smiled, that would be Genis in the kitchen then. The young half-elf enjoyed cooking and often prepared breakfast when the group of friends had reunions like the one they were having now.

Zelos smiled and closed his eyes contentedly. So many things had happened in his life, but he felt happier now than he ever had been before. He'd gone from feeling lonely and unloved, rejected and shunned by all except the superficial women who swooned when he did things as simple as smiling at them, to feeling accepted, loved and wanted.

None of the people who had been on the journey to restore the two worlds were related to him by blood but he had started to consider them family as he had formed such strong bonds with them.

As for the hunnies, well, they could all go and flutter their eyelashes at some other guy, he didn't care about them. He never really had, but he'd flirted with them as something to do and to keep up an appearance. He'd always felt sad in his youth but if he showed it people would probably pester him and try to cheer him up. People didn't want to see an unhappy Chosen, the Chosen represented hope, it wouldn't do to have him walking around looking miserable.

So he put on his happy face and flirted with the pretty girls like a good Chosen. But he never really felt that any of the women he flirted with were special.

Sheena was different however. She made him feel alive and happy. Just looking at her made him smile and feel all warm and happy.

It was true they often argued, but he would never intentionally hurt her. He cared for her very deeply and only said or did things to tease her because he knew she found their play fights fun too. There was never any malice in their arguments, just playful competitiveness.

He opened his eyes and spotted some pretty accessories that Colette had given Sheena on the dressing table. He smiled as he remembered his wife trying them on yesterday evening. She'd sat still for ages while Colette had combed and brushed her hair before doing it up nicely for her with the lovely ribbons and things she'd found that she'd thought would suit the summoner.

He chuckled when he remembered Presea's reaction to that. The pink haired woman had been puzzled, not understanding why Sheena, who never worried about dolling herself up, was willing to spend so much time sitting still to have her hair done up.

He'd been able to explain that one. It wasn't the end result, Sheena's hair looking nice, that was important, it was the close companionship expressed by the younger woman doing something nice for the older one and the chance to talk that was.

Those two had been terrible, giggling away at some silly joke or another the other had made last night. They had become close in such a way that they seemed like sisters to him. They had that sort of level of understanding of one another, that kind of closeness.

His gaze moved back to the sleeping woman. She really was beautiful to him. Even with her hair slightly messy from sleep and her limbs carelessly flung around his body in a warm embrace she was captivatingly stunning to him.

The feature he found most stunning, her eyes, were hidden behind her closed eyelids at the moment. But he knew when she awoke they'd be bright and warm and kind.

"I love you Sheena," he whispered softly. Then he smiled as he saw her eyelids beginning to flutter open.

"Good morning," she yawned sleepily, nuzzling his chest before leaning up to kiss him lightly upon the lips.

She settled her head back on his chest and snuggled up to him, pulling the blanket closer around herself. He held her tightly, enjoying the warmth of her body pressed up against his.

"What time is it?" she asked sleepily.

"Not sure, but Genis is cooking breakfast I think," he replied softly.

"Bother," she said in a light-hearted tone. "I want to stay curled up here with you."

"Nothing stopping you," he smiled.

"He'll start knocking on the door and complaining the food he's cooked is going cold, his efforts slaving over a hot stove going to waste soon," the summoner smiled. Genis could sometimes become a little overdramatic about his cooking.

"I doubt he's done slaving over the stove just yet, we've still got a while," the swordsman replied. He received a contented purr in reply and lay completely happily and relaxed holding her until, just as they predicted, Genis started knocking on everyone's doors, trying to wake them for breakfast.

"Alright alright, give us a chance to get dressed," Zelos called out.

Sheena grunted and pulled the blanket closer around herself, making it clear she didn't want to get out of bed just yet. Zelos grinned, an idea forming in his head.

In one swift, sudden movement he rolled away from her and snatched the blanket away.

"Tag, you're it," he tapped her lightly before running to the far corner of the room.

"Heeeeeeeey!" Sheena growled, not impressed at suddenly being left cold without her husband or the blanket. She leapt up and chased him around the room for a bit, wielding the nearest weapon-like thing she'd been able to find, a book from her bedside table.

Eventually he stopped running away and turned to grab her in a hug. She whapped him lightly with the book as he tenderly wrapped the blanket and his arms around her. Then he nuzzled the top of her head and kissed her. His kiss caused her to drop the book as she became lost in his gesture of love and affection.

He broke the kiss and she looked deeply into his eyes, her own shining with love and happiness.

She moved to kiss him once more but the moment was broken by Genis banging on their door again and telling them Lloyd was threatening to eat their share of the breakfast if they didn't come and claim it soon.

The pair sighed then Zelos moved to fetch the clothes Sheena'd laid out for the morning last night before she'd gone to bed. Tenderly and lovingly he dressed her then he dressed himself as she combed her hair, tying it back in a simple ponytail using a ribbon Colette had given her to secure it.

They moved to the door but just as they were about to leave he made her pause, his hand stopping hers as she reached to open the door. He leaned over to whisper in her ear, promising her he'd do in reverse what he had done just now and then more as well later when they were alone again. She blushed a deep shade of red, told him he was a pervert and playfully, lightly hit him before giggling happily. She kissed him lightly, opened the door then took his hand and walked beside him to the kitchen, a content smile on her face, his expression mirroring hers.


End file.
